All-Landmark Conference Men's Basketball Team

TOWSON, Md. – The 16th-ranked Drew University men's basketball team has earned a program-record four All-Landmark Conference selections while also capturing a pair of major awards, it was announced on Tuesday with the release of the all-conference team.
 
Senior guard Josh Kline earned a spot on the All-Landmark Conference First Team, senior forward Peso Crump and senior guard Malcolm Newman captured second-team status, and junior forward David Musial garnered honorable mention recognition. Musial was also a repeat selection as the Landmark Conference Defensive Player of the Year.

Kline, Crump, and Musial all gained their first all-conference awards while Newman was recognized for the second time.
 
In addition, Head Coach Michael McSloy and assistant coaches Dylan Musial, Malcolm Sidebottom, and Scott Gibbs were named the Coaching Staff of the Year after leading Drew to a banner season this past year. The Rangers (24-3) captured the Landmark Conference title this past Saturday with an 85-70 victory over Catholic University to earn the program's first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division III Championship tournament. With the win, the team also broke the program record for victories as well as the Landmark Conference record for the longest winning streak (16 games). During the regular season, Drew went 18-0 in Landmark Conference play to become the first men's basketball team to post an undefeated regular season, made even more impressive considering it was only the second year since the conference expanded from eight to 10 teams and 14 to 18 conference games.
 
Kline enjoyed an outstanding all-around season for the Rangers. A starter in all 27 games, he leads the team in scoring (14.6 ppg) and steals (2.2 spg), is second in assists (3.6 apg), and is third in rebounding (4.9 rpg). Among the Landmark Conference leaders, he ranks second in steals, third in assists, 10th in field-goal percentage, 10th in 3-pointers made per game (1.7), and 11th in scoring.
 
In one of his top performances of the season, Kline posted 16 points and a career-high 12 assists for his first career double-double in Drew's victory over Susquehanna in the semifinals of the Landmark Conference Championship. He also recorded a career-high 26 points to go with nine rebounds in a win at Rowan, and he netted 20 points in a victory over Wilkes. In addition, he tied the school record for steals in a game with seven in a win at Elizabethtown.
 
Also a starter in all every game, Crump has averaged 11.3 points per game – a mark that ranks fifth among the Rangers. An inside-outside threat, he leads the team and ranks fifth in the Landmark Conference in field-goal percentage (52.8%) and has buried 34 3-pointers while also grabbing 5.1 rebounds per night to rank second among the Rangers. Crump turned in a big showing in the Landmark semifinals, scoring 19 of his 21 points in the first half, and he posted a double-double of 21 points and 15 rebounds in a victory over Moravian. He also poured in 21 points in the team's regular-season home win over Catholic.
 
Newman, who was also a Second Team All-Landmark Conference pick as a sophomore in 2021-22, enjoyed a triumphant return after a season away from the team while recovering from an injury suffered one year earlier. He is currently the team's second-leading scorer, averaging 12.8 points per game, and ranks second on the squad with 1.8 steals per game, good for fourth among the conference leaders. He is also the team leader in free-throw percentage with a mark (80.0%) that ranks ninth in the Landmark Conference. Newman was named the MVP of the Landmark Conference Championships after scoring 18 points in the championship game, and he scored a season-high 21 points in a win over Lycoming. In addition, he hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 4.2 seconds left to cap a come-from-behind win over Wilkes, finishing with 19 points.
 
Musial has made his mark on both ends of the floor once again this season. Defensively, he leads the Rangers and ranks sixth in the Landmark Conference in rebounding (6.2 rpg), is third on the team fifth among the conference leaders in steals (1.7 spg), leads the team in blocked shots with 16. Offensively, he has averaged 7.4 points per game 50.8% from the field and 74.3% at the foul line. Musial registered on one of his top performances early in the season, posting a career-high 28 points while shooting 16-for-16 at the foul line, tying the Landmark Conference record for free-throw percentage in a game. He also posted eight points and a season-high 12 rebounds in a win over Wilkes, and he swiped five steals in victories over Elizabethtown and Moravian.  
 
The Rangers will now take on Mary Washington in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Championship on Friday at 3:45 p.m. at Ramapo College. The winner of the game will face either Claremont-Mudd-Scripps or Ramapo in the second round on Saturday back at Ramapo.